Thank a Veteran!

I don't know how many, if any, of the readers of this blog are currently or have served in the military, but if there are any, I want to Thank You for all that you do or have done for this country. This should be done more often and we, as Americans, shouldn't have to wait for a specific day to acknowledge the job these men and woman do for us everyday.

I don't embrace war, but I do embrace the soldiers who fight them. I realize that all the freedoms that come with living in this great country, come with a price, and I thank God everyday that there are citizens willing to fight for my rights. My grandfathers, great grandfathers, great-great grandfathers, uncles, cousins, all have served this country and continue to do so. The experiences they had and the things they've seen, I'll never be able to comprehend. My Great-Grandfather received a Purple Heart for his injuries in World War II, but he wouldn't talk about it. All we know is that he was trapped in a fox hole for three days while Germans walked around right above him, all the while his best friend lay dead right next to him. I can't even comprehend what that must have been like. I can see why that generation was referred to as "The Greatest Generation".

While I realize this country has problems, and that it may not be "perfect", I think we all need to realize how blessed we are to live here. This truly is a great country and we have our Veteran's and current military to thank for that!

Happy Veteran's Day!

Interviews, Football, and Awards, Oh My!!

I'm going to go in reverse order from the title so that we start with the more fun of the three! One of my new favorite finds, 'Bama Belle in the City, gave me this award - if you haven't been there, you're missing out! Anyway, I'm really flattered! Ready for the rules? Here goes!

1. You have to tag 5 people.

2. 4 of the 5 have to be dedicated followers to your blog.

3. One has to be someone new or recently new to your blog and must live in another part of the world.

4. You must link back to whomever gave you the award

So I tag:

Chitown Meg from The Randomness of Meghan

Classy from Dancing Backward in High Heels

Holly from In My Over Active Head

Tova Darling from the Secret Life of Tova Darling

Tiff from Organized Chaos

All of those blogs are wonderful and I enjoy reading them, so go check them out!

Second and I'm not going to go on about it because I'll be spending next weekend actually AT the game and there will be extensive posting about that, but Alabama won and is going to the SEC Championship! 'Nuff said and moving on...

Finally, I had an interview on Friday for a summer internship and I think it went really well. I'm kind of nervous because while I think I would learn more there than anywhere else, I also feel like I would be in over my head for most, if not all of the summer, but I'll wait and see if I get an offer before I worry about it.

Hope everyone has a wonderful start to the week!!!

And yet I still go back....

Why is it that once something or someone hurts us, we go back to that thing or person. I don't know, maybe it's just me, but I tend to do that, and seemingly more so now that I'm so far away from my "core" group. Maybe I'm afraid of breaking the links in a chain that keep me connected to my "friends," I don't know, but there are those times when I just want to ask, "Why would you say that to me?" However, shortly after I ask myself "Why did you let her say that to you?" It might be helpful to illustrate this with an example.

Recently I was on the phone with my college roommate (CR) of three years. When she calls, we talk for about an hour each time, even though I'm not much of a phone talker. During these convos, she talks mostly about herself, ever so often stopping to ask me "what's new" with me. Then we talk about the endless weddings that are happening - most of which I don't even know the people involved - but regardless we discuss every detail down to guest list.

On this particular day, she told me that a mutual friend of ours was probably going to be getting engaged, well, anytime now. This friend had called CR to ask her an engagement question, seeing as how CR is a newlywed herself. The conversation progress like this:


CR: So she called and wanted to know if a year engagement was too long. I told her that...well let me explain seeing as how you don't know what it's like to be engaged...You really only need a long engagement in order to book the church and reception site...See those fill up quickly.


IG: ................


This may not seem like a big deal to you all...you might be thinking, "Yeah, well she's right, what's wrong with that?" Given that we lived together for three years, she is well aware of my fear of being an "old maid" and never finding "the one". Yeah, she knows; we've met. She, on numerous occasions, saw me cry over having my heart broken and then heard me confess these fears to her. Which is why the statements made and the tone of voice used - the condescending, let me explain like your 5 years old voice - made this exchange hurt even more.


The CR and I had a rough patch in college; we fought quite a bit and yelled numerous times, but things had gotten better now that we weren't living together. However, I'm beginning to believe she makes these comments and talks about all these weddings in order to twist the knife in my back deeper. According to her, when you get married, you're "grown up" and finally "an adult". So what am I, huh? I think it's part jealously, part enjoyment because she knows it stings, but really, why? Why do girls have to hurt their "friends" in order to feel good about themselves?


The ironic part of this story is that within our group of friends, she is the saintly one and I'm the one everyone thinks of as the conniving witch? Funny huh? If they only knew...

Is it Friday yet?

I'm going home this weekend for a job interview and yet another big game! I'm ready to go but alas it's only Wednesday :(

However, Chitown Meg over at The Randomness of Meghan has made this Wednesday particularly exciting by giving me an award! I really appreciate being thought of! Here are the rules:

1.)Post the award on your blog
2.) Link me for giving it to you

3.) Link the originating post here

4.) Pass the award on to 5 more deserving people

5.) Post these rules for your recipients

I pass this award along to:

Classy at Dancing Backwards in High Heels

Roxie at Baby, When the Sun Goes Down

Sarah at Classy and Fabulous

Meika at Meika Musings

Amy at Chapters

Number 1!

Those of you who have been following my blog for any length of time know that I love football. No surprise, right? I think I can tell you which team I'm on, while still maintaining the anonymous nature of this blog. Are you ready for this?

I am an Alabama Crimson Tide girl! I didn't go there, my parents didn't go there, but the crimson tide tradition has been running through my family for years. In fact, I came home from the hospital in Alabama attire. I grew up in a state that was huge rivals to us - to this day I will NOT wear a certain color for that reason. My allegiance to this team has been one of my defining characteristics. So much so that I was the token 'Bama fan in my group of friends and kind of still am. It's a title I wear with pride!

For those of you who don't follow football or this team very closely, you wouldn't know that we have been through some SERIOUS issues to say the least over the past decade. After having the best coach in college football history, while there were one or two along the way after him that were wonderful, the majority just couldn't get it together, and that coupled with sanctions, leads to several years of mediocrity. However, this week for the first time since November of 1980 we're ranked number 1 in the regular season polls! I wasn't even born the last time that happened!!!!!

Even though it may not last (keep your fingers crossed it does) I'm so glad I stuck with my team through the "dark years" as my family calls them, it makes it so much sweeter now!

Roll Tide!!!!

You Wanna Piece of Me!?

Classy's most recent post put me in a mood today. Listening to that song one, two, twelve times while getting ready with do that. I decided to ditch the hoodie and jeans I was wearing and "dress" it up a little bit - heels, some "bling" - nothing over the top, but just a step up from the usual. I mean, I was feeling empowered, I might as well dress the part, right? Needless to say the clothes change also helped and the combination of all these things has given me a certain "swagger". By the time I left the apartment, I was ready for whatever life could throw at me. Bring it on world! I wouldn't say I was looking for a fight, but I was a-okay if one found me!

I'm not sure where this "over it" feeling came from...I have a couple of ideas though. One being the time change has put me some kind of depression. I mean, don't get me wrong, I love the extra hour of sleep and the fact that the sun wakes me up in the morning instead of the street lamp, but it gets dark at 5 o'clock and by 8 I feel I should be in bed. Not good for the studying that needs to be happening. This happens to me every year, and this year I'm determined to not let it get me.

The other would take far to long to explain, but it'll suffice to say that I'm over the men (or lack there of) in my life being morons. You know that moment when something you suspected was going to happen actually happens and all the puzzle pieces fit together, well this weekend brought that for me....again...in regards to the same person. Why I care? I don't know! I'm moving on - for real this time - I don't deserve this and I'm not going to take it anymore! Again, Bring it on!

As a normally reserved person who hates confrontation, I'm pretty fond of this new feistyness and hopes it sticks around for awhile!

Island Girl's PSA

*Public Service Announcement*

If any of you are spending the day shopping or if you need an excuse to do so, and you love New York & Company as much as I do, then you need to go - now!

Not having class on Friday and needing clothes to deal with the incredible cold temperatures of my office, I headed over there myself yesterday. I love there store because you can find some really great deals and they didn't disappoint! They are currently running a sale on pants - buy one get, get one 75% off! My second pair was $9! Plus as a "trendsetter" I got a $20 off coupon in the mail, so it was even better.

Plus if you go in now, you get $15 in "city cash" for every $30 you spend! So, if you're in the need for new clothes (who isn't) go there!

*I don't work there...Promise...I'm just a huge fan of cute clothes at low prices :) I mean, what kind of Island Girl would I be if I didn't pass along this info!